So I'm buying a van...

[HoboJen]

for the VWs, i like the camper a lot more than the weekender...

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4281549700.html


i just feel like it lacks a homey feel or something... if that makes any sense...

 

[Shocker]

Hey Jen! Here in WA there seems to be a decent amount of us van guys. I see lot's of choices for you out there, but have you taken any time to drive anything? You will never narrow down your selection until you get behind the wheel of a few rigs.

I am a Ford guy when it comes to vans due to the full frame construction and overall ease of working on them. The Chevy Express van's are said to ride better due to the longer wheelbase. I see a lot of recommendations for the Sprinter and they are very cool, but they are expensive to fix when they break and not everyone can work on them. The Express or Econoline are ubiquitous and just about anyone can work on them in a pinch. I look at the Sprinter as the next step after you have been around the block.

Selection also comes down to budget. How much can you spend? It looks like you are in the 10k range plus or minus a grand. There are lots of choices for you in the NW. Personally, I would look for a van that is more or less ready to go. I see you like the cargo van's as a blank canvas, but just take time to read some builds and you will see how much time goes into making one a great rig. Even a half assed job will take too long for your timeline.

I agree with the OBD2, but don't shy away from the 92+ with OBD1. Nothing wrong with them.

It would be cool to find a E250 with the 4.9 straight 6. Decent fuel economy, tough as nails, easy to work on and lots of parts. Plenty of room in the Ford Econoline.

 

[Cole]

Rare to find a EV camper so cheap!

 

[Shocker]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/cto/4309582454.html
1988 GMC Conversion. Not too bad! You can always just use a Coleman camp stove and other portable devices instead of built in's. Throttle body 350. Reliable as the day is long. Looks very clean with 117k.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/4308799973.html
95 Ford Conversion with 57k miles. Looks like a great start. Limited pictures. $3500. Seems like a steal.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4296339095.html
90 Ford Conversion E150. Should have the 302 which is a great engine. Fuel injected. Ad says it has had a lot of recent work. Plus it looks like inside of a disco in there. $2750

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/4300243338.html
1991 Chevy 1 ton. New engine in there. Fully insulated. Stealth grey. Might be worth taking a look at. $4500

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/4305133824.html
91 Chevy Vandura conversion. 350, lots of new parts. Says he "has a guy" who can do the insulation and build a bed? $3250

http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/cto/4304896524.html
95 Ford Econoline conversion. Looks well setup with a tall glass top. 106k $6000

http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/cto/4303091396.html
87 Ford Econoline E150. Looks pretty good! Original owner with the 302. $2200. This says "buy me". Twin tanks, limited slip. The 302 is fuel injected. Has the fold down bed. I like this one a lot.

Now this hasn't been discussed here, but how about an Aerostar? 4.0 v6 is very reliable and decent on gas. Comes with AWD if you want and the extended version is huge inside. We had one and drove the wheels off of it. Had the 4.0 and we got 20mpg pretty regularly.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/4303306932.html
1993 Ford Aerostar! AWD, 4.0. 193k so lots of miles but gives you an idea. $1600

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4289052397.html
1993 Aerostar. Looks like a nice one! $1600

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4307736037.html
Now, if you just want to blow the budget. This is ready to go.

 

[HoboJen]

Hey Jen! Here in WA there seems to be a decent amount of us van guys. I see lot's of choices for you out there, but have you taken any time to drive anything? You will never narrow down your selection until you get behind the wheel of a few rigs.

I am a Ford guy when it comes to vans due to the full frame construction and overall ease of working on them. The Chevy Express van's are said to ride better due to the longer wheelbase. I see a lot of recommendations for the Sprinter and they are very cool, but they are expensive to fix when they break and not everyone can work on them. The Express or Econoline are ubiquitous and just about anyone can work on them in a pinch. I look at the Sprinter as the next step after you have been around the block.

Selection also comes down to budget. How much can you spend? It looks like you are in the 10k range plus or minus a grand. There are lots of choices for you in the NW. Personally, I would look for a van that is more or less ready to go. I see you like the cargo van's as a blank canvas, but just take time to read some builds and you will see how much time goes into making one a great rig. Even a half assed job will take too long for your timeline.

I agree with the OBD2, but don't shy away from the 92+ with OBD1. Nothing wrong with them.

It would be cool to find a E250 with the 4.9 straight 6. Decent fuel economy, tough as nails, easy to work on and lots of parts. Plenty of room in the Ford Econoline.

the only thing i've test driven was a toyota sienna - a few weeks ago when i started looking (this is what i was originally thinking: http://thegroveguy.blogspot.com/2011/06/toyota-sienna-van-conversion.html) i'm just not sold on those kind of vans and i really dislike the electric side doors. as i did more research and saw what was out there, i started to look at cargo vans. that was also after talking to a former van dwelling friend (previa) who said she would give up all the good mpg in the world for the space of a full size van. i've driven what i think was an old dodge extended 15 passenger van while pulling a trailer. couldn't tell you the year or engine but it was long, drove kinda odd, and i wasn't a huge fan.. though i did get used to driving it and it was fine.

i did go to look at an astro, ford transit connect, and chevy express at the same lot. instantly didn't like the size of the astro and hated the transit connect. but didn't drive anything. before i posted here i was ready to go test drive the ford and chevy cargos but wasn't sure about the heavy dutiness that i need. so i posted and have gotten so much to think about that i sort of halted on that. the original (toyota sienna or even full size) plan was simple.. futon/bed, somewhere to store my stuff, no fridge, coleman camp stove, some sort of table to prepare food, work, etc... BUT THEN... i saw all of the cool conversions on forums like this and cheap rv living and youtube... i felt like i could put together something simple fairly easily for not a lot of cash. but it just gets more and more complicated and expensive.

i guess i'm still not sure what my goals are. i have a pile of money and no debt, so i'm ready to take a break and enjoy my time for about a year. thing is, i probably want to keep living on the cheap and do this for more than a year while getting part time / seasonal jobs as needed. but maybe this will just be a year thing, and i should just get something ready to go for the year and sell it when i'm done. or, maybe this is my rig i'm investing in for the next 5 to 10 years... i really don't know.

as for how much i can spend... it's really flexible. i think 15K max on van plus build is my limit, just to keep plenty to live on for awhile. less is good because that means i have more cash. but if this is a long term investment.. i think it's worth spending that.

i've read a few builds and i think i needed a reality check regarding time.... but i'm still leaning towards a cargo van over the camper conversions and i'm just not sure why.

[/ramblypost] thanks for listening.

 

[HoboJen]

wading through those ads... thanks! i think i have opened a lot of these, and some i have totally missed, but i just don't know what i'm looking at.

yeah i saw that sweet sprinter in leavenworth!

 

[Wiley]

Its 2014, and you mentioned you do not have the best mechanical skills, so I would not even bother looking at anything pre-97ish, with your budget you can get a decent newer van and build it up the way you want it. This is not a personal attack,. but why buy a 20 year old van that you can't fix, and will just end up paying someone else to fix it with the money that could be used for the trip.

Get a cargo van, insulate the walls, put in a bed and some storage and roll, you dont need much, especially for a trip across the US. Hell I would still recommend solar a fridge and another battery with your budget its all doable.

 

[Shocker]

Alright! Now we are getting somewhere!

I guess I would really steer you away from the cargo van idea. I like them myself and look forward to fitting out VanDOOM, but I have all the time in the world. You could have a year just building out what you want. Plus I am assuming that you will need to build up a skill set for some of the stuff you want to do so that will extend your time as well.

With a conversion van, you would have a workable solution now that would suffice. You can then spend some time roaming around and maybe make a trip of meeting up with some of the other great members here to help fit out the interior more! That would be kind of cool! I am sure there are a bunch of folks who would like to lend a hand!

 

[Belltownbikes]

Not long to insulate the walls ceiling and make some panels. Throw in the ikea bed and be done. I wouldnt pay that much for that van.

This must be region-specific: here in New England a clean van like that wouldn't last a second on CL at $5k. I like this one. As you point out it's done enough to use, but not so much that there is lots of room to do what you want with it. And the rack would be easy to reach when packing for shuttle. I once had 12 boats on my vanagon for shuttle.

B

 

[HoboJen]

Get a cargo van,

I guess I would really steer you away from the cargo van idea.

This must be region-specific: here in New England a clean van like that wouldn't last a second on CL at $5k. I like this one. As you point out it's done enough to use, but not so much that there is lots of room to do what you want with it. And the rack would be easy to reach when packing for shuttle. I once had 12 boats on my vanagon for shuttle.

B

i'm scared that since it is 33 years old, and i know little to nothing about mechanics, that this won't be a good option for the reasons wiley said. but i still think it's a nice ride.

if you paddled the dryway at all in 2010, i bet our paths have crossed

 

[bknudtsen]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ctd/4294910683.html

 

[Cole]

Couple more thoughts and some random reading for you.

I've now got a VW Westfalia Weekender custom built :coffeedrink:.....and a Sprinter "cargo van" that I'm working on.

Link to the Eurovan destruction ......um.....build.....:coffeedrink: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/94519-Screwing-around-with-a-Eurovan!


And the Sprinter ....http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...****-did-I-just-fly-to-Maine-to-by-a-Sprinter!

My Eurovan currently sees way more use because it's already set up. Has a front and rear heater, insulated, rear AC, seats, beds, swivels, house battery, lights, curtains, tinted windows, etc.

I would love to use my Sprinter a bit more right now but its COLD, noisy, uncomfortable, no place to sit, lay down, no good lights, no house battery, no privacy, etc etc. It will simply take time and money to get it working. Have had to sort out used car issues first, which you may need to do also.

The simple point here is that if you want something to jump in and USE now, get a conversion van, camper van or VW. Most will have things like a "rear heater" already built in. Things like that seam simple but they can be a huge time and money suck to get these basic systems set up.

It's easier to change the curtains to match your style than build the whole house right now.

 

[Heloflyboy]

I did not see anyone really answer this one so here is my 2 cents. The 1500's are always going to get better fuel economy then 2500 or 3500,less weight and usually better highway gearing. My company uses them all and a newer ford 5.4 1500 get pretty decent mileage. You cannot go wrong with ford or chevy I personally prefer the ford. I think it handle's weight better then the chevy. Like people have said there are a ton of van conversion's out there at good prices.

Good Luck

 

[HoboJen]

Couple more thoughts and some random reading for you.

I've now got a VW Westfalia Weekender custom built :coffeedrink:.....and a Sprinter "cargo van" that I'm working on.

Link to the Eurovan destruction ......um.....build.....:coffeedrink: http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/94519-Screwing-around-with-a-Eurovan!


And the Sprinter ....http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...****-did-I-just-fly-to-Maine-to-by-a-Sprinter!

My Eurovan currently sees way more use because it's already set up. Has a front and rear heater, insulated, rear AC, seats, beds, swivels, house battery, lights, curtains, tinted windows, etc.

I would love to use my Sprinter a bit more right now but its COLD, noisy, uncomfortable, no place to sit, lay down, no good lights, no house battery, no privacy, etc etc. It will simply take time and money to get it working. Have had to sort out used car issues first, which you may need to do also.

The simple point here is that if you want something to jump in and USE now, get a conversion van, camper van or VW. Most will have things like a "rear heater" already built in. Things like that seam simple but they can be a huge time and money suck to get these basic systems set up.

It's easier to change the curtains to match your style than build the whole house right now.

i like the floors in your eurovan - also the shock cord additions.

all good things to think about above.

 

[bdog1]

Oh no.... I'm afraid your getting info.overload! Too many choices!

Maybe it's time to go with something basic and get started! Keep it under budget and as you use it your likes and needs will become obvious. All our vans evolve as we go. What you want today may not be important tomorrow. This site is all about the building. We're all on the quest for the perfect van and it's a work in progress.

Switch it up and find some of the great travel threads here or on HU. People are traveling with all manor of vehicles. The travel, the freedom, thats the real pay off.


Sent by wing, prayer & ATT